Rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving web

ABSTRACT

The cutter mechanism includes a fixed cutter having side notches therein over which either a sheet, strip or an endless web of paper travels at a preselected speed. A pair of rotatable cutters are mounted on shafts for rotation in timed relation to each other and to the speed of the sheet, strip or web. The rotatable cutters are positioned on opposite sides of the fixed cutter. Each of the rotatable cutters has a first radially extending cutter blade and a second radially extending cutter blade arranged longitudinally along the shaft and adjacent to each other. One of the radially extending blades is adjustable angularly relative to the other. The relative radial angle between the blades determines the length of the notch cut by the respective rotatable cutters in the side of the sheet, strip or web.

llnited States Patent [191 [111 3,782,233 Helm Jan. 1, 1974 ROTATABLE CUTTER MECHANISM FOR 7 CUTTING DIFFERENT LENGTH NOTCHES IN A MOVING WEB Herbert W. Helm, Hollidaysburg, Pa.

F. L. Smithe Machine Company, Inc., Duncansville, Pa.

Filed: Nov. 12, 1971 Appl. No.: 198,232

Inventor:

Assignee:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1921 King 83/357 12/1925 Cumfer... 83/357 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 10/1960 Great Britain 83/671 Primary ExaminerJ. M. Meister AttorneyStanley J. Price, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT The cutter mechanism includes a fixed cutter having side notches therein over which either a sheet, strip or an endless web of paper travels at a preselected speed. A pair of rotatable cutters are mounted on shafts for rotation in timed relation to each other and to the speed of the sheet, strip or web. The rotatable cutters are positioned on opposite sides of the fixed cutter. Each of the rotatable cutters has a first radially ex tending cutter blade and a second radially extending cutter blade arranged longitudinally along the shaft and adjacent to each other. One of the radially extending blades is adjustable angularly relative to the other. The relative radial angle between the blades determines the length of the notch cut by the respective rotatable cutters in the side of the sheet, strip or web.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ROTATABLE CUTTER MECHANISM FOR CUTTING DIFFERENT LENGTH NOTCHES IN A MOVING WEB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving sheet, strip or web and more particularly to a rotatable cutter mechanism with angularly adjustable radially extending blades.

2. Description of the Prior Art less web. The radially extending cutter blades are unitary in construction and are arranged to cut notches of a fixed length. To change the length of the bottom flap portion of the envelope blank it is necessary with the known apparatus to remove both the fixed cutter blade and the radially extending cutter blades by substituting blades of different length. This requires dismantling the apparatus and maintaining an inventory of blades having different lengths.

U. 8. Pat. No. 1,5 86,055 discloses apparatus for cutting envelope blanks from moving sheets and one embodiment illustrates first severing sheets of a given length and width and thereafter conveying the sheet to a cutting station where a pair of sheets have their adjacent edges cutout by a composite blanking die to form the side edges of the respective envelope blanks. The width of the blanks may be varied by cutting sheets of different widths from the web. The shape and dimension of the cut out side edges of the blank cannot be changed without changing the composite blanking die. There is a need for a rotatable cutter mechanism that may be easily and quickly adjusted to cut notches in the sides of the web, strip or sheet of different lengths so that envelope blanks having different length bottom flaps may be formed without changing the cutting blades.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, the rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting notches of different lengths in a moving segment such as a sheet, strip or web includes a fixed cutter having at least one blade portion extending longitudinally along the side thereof. The. fixed cutter is arranged to support the moving segment with a side portion of the segment extending over the fixed cutter blade portion. A shaft is rotatably mounted on the side of the fixed cutter in spaced relation to the fixed cutter blade portion. A rotatable cutter is mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith and the rotatable cutter has a pair of rotatable cutter blades extending radially therefrom. One of the rotatable cutter blades is angularly adjustable relative tothe other rotatable cutter blade so that the relative radial angle between the blades controls the length of the notch cut'in the side portion of the segment supportedby the fixed cutter blade.

The fixed cutter blade has a notch of a predetermined configuration and the radial cutter blades have a similar configuration and pass through the fixed cutter blade notch portion. The radial cutter blades are arranged longitudinally along the shaft and are adjacent to each other. One of the rotatable cutter blades has a radial edge configuration that forms the side edge of an envelope blank seal flap and a portion of the side edge of the adjacent envelope blank bottom flap. The other blade has a radial edge configuration that forms the remainder of the adjacent envelope blank bottom flap portion. By rotating one of the rotatable cutter blades relative to the other on the rotatable shaft the timing sequence of the cutting operation by the rotatable blades is controlled to permit a greater or lesser portion of the moving segment to pass beneath the second blade to increase or decrease the length of the bottom flap. Both cutter blades have overlapped portions that compensate for the angular position of the blades to each other and provide a continuous linear cut for the bottom flap side edge.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a rotatable cutter mechanism that is arranged to cut notches of different lengths in a moving segment without changing the rotatable cutting blade.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting the side edges of adjacent envelope blank seal flap and bottom flap portions without changing of the rotatable cutter blade angle on the rotatable shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotatable cutter mechanism to cut notches of different length in a moving segment without changing the cutter blades that support the moving segment.

These and other objects of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompany drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a rotating cutter mechanism arranged to cut the side edges for the bottom flap and seal flap of adjacent envelope blanks thereafter cut from the continuous web.

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken along the Line II-II of FIG. 1, illustrating the angular displacement of the cutter blades mounted on the rotatable shaft.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, illustrating the radially extending blades cutting the seal flap and bottom flap notch in an endless web.

FIGS, 4 and 5 are schematic views in elevation similar to FIG; 2, illustrating different angular displacements between the rotatable cutter blades mounted on the rotatable shaft.

FIGS. 4a and 5b are a schematic exaggerated illustration of a continuous web having different lengths of bottom flap side edges cut therein. FIGS. 4a and 5b are intended to designate the difference in length of the bottom flap side edge by changing the angular relation. between the rotatable cutter blades as illustrated in FIGS.--4 and 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS edge portions of a continuous web that is thereafter cut transversely to form separate envelope blanks. It should be understood the rotatable cutter mechanism is also operable to cut notches in the side edges of strips or sheets and the use of the term segment is intended to include either an endless web, an elongated strip or a sheet with a predetermined length. Conventional means such as pinch rolls, driven pressure rolls and the like may be employed to convey the elongated strip or sheet along the platform at a preselected speed so that the notches of different lengths can be cut in one or both of the side edges. The description also includes a pair of rotatable cutter mechanisms to simultaneously cut notches in both edges of the segment. It should be further understood the invention may be practiced with a single rotatable cutter mechanism to cut a notch in one side edge of the segment.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1 there is disclosed a rotatable cutter mechanism generally designated by the numeral that has a suitable table portion 12 with an upstanding channel shaped support means 14 for the fixed cutter generally designated by the numeral 16.

The fixed cutter 16 has a pair of fixed cutter blades 18 and 20 suitably secured to the support means 14 of table 12 by means of screws or, bolts 22. The cutter blades 18 and 20 may be removed from the table support 14 for sharpening or to substitute blades of a different configuration.

The cutter blades 18 and 20 have substantially the same edge configuration with a first inwardly offset straight edge portion 24 that is connected to a second outwardly offset straight edge portion 26 by an arcuate or curved edge portion 28. The straight portion 24 terminates in an inwardly extending notch 30. Another inwardly offset straight edge portion 32 is aligned with straight edge portion 24 and is connected to the slotted portion at one end and an arcuate curved edge portion 34 at the other end. The curved portion 34 connects the straight portion 32 with another outwardly offset straight edge portion 36 that is aligned with straight edge portion 26.

An segment of paper illustrated as an endless web 38 is arranged to be conveyed over the table 12 and fixed support 14 in the direction of the arrow at a preselected speed and has a width slightly smaller than the distance between the straight edge outer portions 26 of the spaced knife blades 18 and 20. The configuration of blades 18 and 20 are arranged to support the web so that rotatable blades having a similar configuration as the edges of the blades 18 and 20 cut notches 40 and 42 in the side edges 44 and 46 of web 38. The notches 40 and 42 form the seal flap portion 48 and the bottom flap portion 50 of adjacent envelope blanks formed in the web 38. After the notches'40 and 42 are formed in the web, the web is cut along the dotted line 52 to form envelope blanks.

The notches 40 and 42 are formed in the web 38 by the co-aetion of pairs of rotatable cutters generally designated by the numerals 54 and 56 with the fixed cutter 16. The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are similar in construction and similar numerals will be used to indicate similar parts. The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are nonrotatably mounted on a pair of rotatable shafts 58-and 60 that are in turn rotatably mounted in pillow blocks 62, 64, 66 and 68 on the table 12. The rotatable shaft 58 and 60 have end portions 70 and 72 connected through suitable couplings 74 and 76 to gear boxes 78 and 80. Within the gear box 78 there is suitable gearing connecting an input shaft 81 to a pair of output shafts 82 and 84. The output shaft 82 is connected through coupling 74 to rotatable shaft 58. The output shaft 84 is connected to the input shaft 86 of gear box and gear box 80 contains suitable gears connecting the output shaft 88 through coupling 76 to rotatable shaft 60. With this arrangement there is provided a common drive for both of the rotatable shafts 58 and 60 and the shafts 58 and 60 are mechanically connected to each other through the above described connections. With this arrangement the shafts 58 and 60 rotate in fixed timed relation to each other and are maintained in fixed timed relation by the mechanical connections.

The rotatable cutters 54 and 56 are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3 and include a lead or seal flap blade holder 90 and a trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92. The lead or seal flap blade holder 90 has separate semi-cylindrical top portions 94 and bottom portion that are clampingly engaged to the respective shafts 58 and 60. The top portion 94 has a radially extending blade connecting portion 96 and an opposite radially extending bolt flange 98. The semi-cylindrical bottom portion 100 also has a radially extending blade connecting portion 102 and an oppositely radially extending bolt flange 104. Suitable bolt apertures 130 are provided in the blade holder top and bottom portions 94 and 100 for bolts 132 to secure the blade holders 90 to the respective shafts 58 and 60 and secure a radially extending leading blade 106 between the blade portions 96 and 102. The respective shafts 58 and 60 have a recessed key portion 108 and the blade holder bottorn portion 100 has a mating recess 110 in which a key is positioned to nonrotatably secure the leading or seal flap blade portion 90 to the respective shafts 58 and 60.

The trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is similarly engaged to the shaft with the exception of being keyed to the shaft. The blade holder 92 has an upper semi-cylindrical portion 112 with a radially extending blade connecting portion 114 and a radially oppositely extending bolt flange 116. The lower semi-cylindrical portion 118 has a radially extending blade connecting portion 120 and oppositely extending bolt flange 122. A trailing or bottom flap blade 124 is secured between the blade connecting portions 114 and 120. The trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is positioned on and frictionally secured to the respective shafts 58 and 60 by bolts, and annular spacers 126 and 128 are provided to maintain the trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 in proper axial spaced relation with the leading or seal flap blade holder 90. The trailing or bottom flap blade holder 92 is rotatably adjustable and may be rotated about the respective shafts 58 and 60 to a preselected angle relative to the leading or seal flap blade holder 90 so that the blades 106 and 124 are-radially spaced from each other at a preselected angle and the blade 124 will follow blade 106 and cut its portion of the notch 40 or 42 after the blade 106. The blade holder 92 is secured in this angular position by tightening of the bolts thereon.

Although a specific configuration of the blade holder has been described, it should be understood that other suitable blade holders may be employed to secure the blades to the shaft and permit adjustment of oneof the blades relative to the other blade. Although the cutter mechanism knife blade holders are described as separate holders, it should be understood that they could be fabricated as an integral unit providing radial angular adjustment for the cutter blades.

The lead or seal flap blade 106 has an arcuate curved edge portion 136 that is connected to a straight outwardly extending edge portion 138. The straight edge portion terminates in an outwardly extending protuberance 140 that has the same configuration as the notch in the fixed blades 18 and 20. The lead blade 106 has a rearwardly extending flange 142 with a straight edge portion 144 that is aligned with the straight edge portion 138. The configuration of the arcuate edge portion 136, straight edge portion 138 and protuberance 140 is the same as the configuration of edges 24 and 28 and notch 30 of fixed blades 18 and 20. The straight edge portion 144 of lead blade 106 has substantially the same configuration as the straight edge portion 32 of fixed blades 18 and 20, but does not have the same length as the edge 32 of fixed blades 18 and 20.

The trailing blade 124 has an arcuate edge portion 148 and a straight edge portion 150. The arcuate edge portion 148 has the same configuration as the arcuate portion 34 of fixed blades 18 and 20 and the straight edge portion 150 has the same configuration as the straight edge portion 32 of fixed blades 18 and 20. The trailing blade 124 has a portion or flange 1480 that extends forwardly and overlaps the rearwardly extending flange 142 on lead blade 106.

The trailing blade 124 may be angularly adjusted relative to the lead blade 106 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, where in FIG. 5 the angle between the blades 106 and 124 is greater than the angle between the respective blades as illustrated in FIG. 4. The length of the bottom flap portion 50 of the envelope blank is determined by the angle between the respective blades 106 and 124. For example, in FIG 4a the bottom flap 50 formed in the web is substantially shorter than the bottom flap 50 illustrated in FIG. 5b. The length of the notches and 42 is also longer in FIG. 5b when compared with FIG. 4a.

The rotary cutters 54 and 56 with the respective sep-' arate blades 106 and 124 cut the notches in the web 38 in the following manner. The web is conveyed longitudinally along the table 12 at a preselected speed and the shafts 58 and 60 are rotated in opposite directions at a second preselected speed. The speed of the web and the shafts 58 and 60 control the length of the envelope blanks. For example, where an envelope blank having a bottom flap dimension A, as illustrated in FIG. 4a, is desired, the trailing blade 124 is arranged at an angle to the lead balde 106 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Upon rotation of the shafts 58 and 60 the lead blade 106 first cuts a portion of a notch 40 or 42 in the side edge of the web that includes the radial lead edge and a portion of the side edge up to the radial trailing edge of blade 106. The radial trailing edge of the notch is not cut because of the configuration of fixed blade 18. Subsequent to cutting a front portion of the notch in the web, the web, because of its continued forward movement, advances so that the lead edge of the notch illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 designated by the letter L has advanced to the location illustrated by thedotted line and the trailing edge of the cut portion of the notch cut by the blade 106 has also advanced and is designated by the letter T. Continued rotation of the shafts 58 and 60 brings the trailing blade 124 in contact with the web side edge, as is illustrated in FIG. ,1, to cut the remainder of the notch 40 or 42 that includes the re.-

maining side portion of the notch and the radial trailing edge. The flange portion 148a on blade 124 overlies the trailing edge T of the cut portion of the notch cut by blade 106 to cut the uncut portion of the web between the rear radial edge 152 of the blade 106 and the trailing edge of the portion of the notch cut by the blade 106.

To increase the length of the envelope blank bottom flap the angle between the blades 106 and 124 is increased, as is illustrated in FIG. 5, so that the trailing blade on rotation of the shaft forms a remainder of the notch at a later time than with the angular arrangement illustrated in FIG. 4, thus giving the web more time to advance the trailing edge of the portion of the notch notch T before the blade 124 rotates into cutting relation with the web side edge. It will be apparent that it is now possible without changing the fixed blades 18 and 20 or removing the rotary cutters 54 and 56 to cut notches of varying length in the side edges of a web. The greater the delay in the respective blades 106 and 124 rotating into cutting relation with the side edge of the web, the longer the bottom flap portion of the envelope blank. 'lhe delay is increased or decreased by the relative angle between the respective blades on the rotating shaft. It will also be apparent that it is now possible without changing the fixed blades 18 and 20 or removing the rotary cutters 54 and 56 to cut notches of varying length in the side edges of a moving elongated strip or sheet. Also, the rotary cutters 54 and 56 may have different blade configurations to cut notches having a configuration that differs from the notch configuration illustrated.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiments.

I claim:

1. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment comprising,

a unitary fixed cutter blade mounted on a support member, said unitary fixed cutter blade having a continuous cutting surface,

a shaft rotatably supported adjacent to said fixed cutter blade,

drive means to rotate said shaft,

rotatable cutter means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotatable cutter means having radially extending blade means,

said rotatable cutter means positioned adjacent to said unitary fixed cutter blade so that upon rotation of said rotatable cutter means said radially extending blade means moves in a circular path and periodically moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter means,

said radially extending blade means having a leading portion angularly displaced from a trailing portion so that upon rotation of said rotatable cutter means said leading portion moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter blade to cut a portion of a notch including the radial lead edge of the notch and a portion of the side edge of the notch and thereafter said trailing portion moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter means to cut the remaining side edge of the notch and the radial trailing edge of the notch, and

means to vary the angular displacement between said radially extending blade means leading portion and trailing portion to thereby vary the length of a notch cut in a moving segment by said rotatable cutter means.

2. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said radially extending blade means leading portion includes a rearwardly extending portion and said trailing portion includes a forwardly extending portion,

said forwardly extending portion positioned in overlapped relation with said rearwardly extending portron.

3. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 2 in which,

said rearwardly extending portion and said forwardly extending portions having substantially straight blade edge portions.

4. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said leading portion having a blade edge portion arranged to cut an envelope blank seal flap side edge and a portion of an adjacent envelope blank bottom flap side edge in the side edge of a moving segment, and

said trailing edge portion having a blade edge portion to cut the remaining portion of said adjacent envelope blank bottom flap edge.

5. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said radially extending blade means includes a pair of separate cutter blades positioned in side by side relation.

6. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 5 which includes,

separate cutter blade holders nonrotatably mounted on a common rotatable shaft, said separate cutter blade holders mounted on said shaft adjacent to each other,

at least one of said blade holders being adjustably mounted on said shaft for preselected rotation relative to the other of said blade holders to thereby adjust the angular displacement between said separate cutter blades. 

1. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment comprising, a unitary fixed cutter blade mounted on a support member, said unitary fixed cutter blade having a continuous cutting surface, a shaft rotatably supported adjacent to said fixed cutter blade, drive means to rotate said shaft, rotatable cutter means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, said rotatable cutter means having radially extending blade means, said rotatable cutter means positioned adjacent to said unitary fixed cutter blade so that upon rotation of said rotatable cutter means said radially extending blade means moves in a circular path and periodically moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter means, said radially extending blade means having a leading portion angularly displaced from a trailing portion so that upon rotation of said rotatable cutter means said leading portion moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter blade to cut a portion of a notch including the radial lead edge of the notch and a portion of the side edge of the notch and thereafter said trailing portion moves into cutting relation with said fixed cutter means to cut the remaining side edge of the notch and the radial trailing edge of the notch, and means to vary the angular displacement between said radially extending blade means leading portion and trailing portion to thereby vary the length of a notch cut in a moving segment by said rotatable cutter means.
 2. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which, said radially extending blade means leading portion includes a rearwardly extending portion and said trailing portion includes a forwardly extending portion, said forwardly extending portion positioned in overlapped relation with said rearwardly extending portion.
 3. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 2 in which, said rearwardly extending portion and said forwardly extending portions having substantially straight blade edge portions.
 4. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which, said leading portion having a blade edge portion arranged to cut an envelope blank seal flap side edge and a portion of an adjacent envelope blank bottom flap side edge in the side edge of a moving segment, and said trailing edge portion having a blade edge portion to cut the remaining portion of said adjacent envelope blank bottom flap edge.
 5. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 1 in which, said radially extending blade means includes a pair of separate cutter blades positioned in side by side relation.
 6. A rotatable cutter mechanism for cutting different length notches in a moving segment as set forth in claim 5 which includes, separate cutter blade holders nonrotatably mounted on a common rotatable shaft, said separate cutter blade holders mounted on said shaft adjacent to each other, at least one of said blade holders being adjustably mounted on said shaft for preselected rotation relative to the other of said blade holders to thereby adjust the angular displacement between said separate cutter blades. 